WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine's 1st District says while President Barack Obama's executive order expanding background checks will not solve the problem of gun violence, it is needed because Congress has not acted.
"This won't stop every shooting but it could go a long way, and I think the president just feels a sense of frustration and believes it's partly his duty to act when Congress doesn't," she says.
Several Republicans in Congress are arguing that the president's executive order goes too far and is unlawful, something Obama rejects. He says his proposal is within his authority and simply clarifies who is considered to be a regulated gun dealer.
